October 13

Esther 3

1After these things, by the order of the king, Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, was lifted up and given a position of honour and a higher place than all the other captains who were with him.

2And all the king’s servants who were in the king’s house went down to the earth before Haman and gave him honour: for so the king had given orders. But Mordecai did not go down before him or give him honour.

3Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s house said to Mordecai, Why do you go against the king’s order?

4Now when they had said this to him day after day and he gave no attention, they let Haman have news of it, to see if Mordecai’s behaviour would be overlooked: for he had said to them that he was a Jew.

5And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not go down before him and give him honour, Haman was full of wrath.

6But it was not enough for him to make an attack on Mordecai only; for they had made clear to him who Mordecai’s people were; so Haman made it his purpose to put an end to all the Jews, even Mordecai’s people, through all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7In the first month, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, from day to day and from month to month they went on looking for a sign given by Pur (that is chance) before Haman, till the sign came out for the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar.

8And Haman said to King Ahasuerus, There is a certain nation living here and there in small groups among the people in all the divisions of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of any other nation, and they do not keep the king’s laws: for this reason it is not right for the king to let them be.

9If it is the king’s pleasure, let a statement ordering their destruction be put in writing: and I will give to those responsible for the king’s business, ten thousand talents of silver for the king’s store-house.

10And the king took his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the hater of the Jews.

11And the king said to Haman, The money is yours, and the people, to do with them whatever seems right to you.

12Then on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king’s scribes were sent for, and they put in writing Haman’s orders to all the king’s captains and the rulers of every division of his kingdom and the chiefs of every people: for every division of the kingdom in the writing commonly used there, and to every people in the language which was theirs; it was signed in the name of King Ahasuerus and stamped with the king’s ring.

13And letters were sent by the runners into every division of the kingdom ordering the death and destruction of all Jews, young and old, little children and women, on the same day, even the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and the taking of all their goods by force.

14A copy of the writing, to be made public in every part of the kingdom, was sent out to all the peoples, so that they might be ready when that day came.

15The runners went out quickly by the king’s order, and a public statement was made in Shushan: and the king and Haman took wine together: but the town of Shushan was troubled.

Esther 4

1Now when Mordecai saw what was done, pulling off his robe, he put on haircloth, with dust on his head, and went out into the middle of the town, crying out with a loud and bitter cry.

2And he came even before the king’s doorway; for no one might come inside the king’s door clothed in haircloth.

3And in every part of the kingdom, wherever the king’s word and his order came, there was great sorrow among the Jews, and weeping and crying and going without food; and numbers of them were stretched on the earth covered with dust and haircloth.

4And Esther’s women and her servants came and gave her word of it. Then great was the grief of the queen: and she sent robes for Mordecai, so that his clothing of haircloth might be taken off; but he would not have them.

5Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s unsexed servants whom he had given her for waiting on her, and she gave him orders to go to Mordecai and see what this was and why it was.

6So Hathach went out and saw Mordecai in the open square of the town before the king’s doorway.

7And Mordecai gave him an account of what had taken place, and of the amount of money which Haman had said he would put into the king’s store for the destruction of the Jews.

8And he gave him the copy of the order which had been given out in Shushan for their destruction, ordering him to let Esther see it, and to make it clear to her; and to say to her that she was to go in to the king, requesting his mercy, and making prayer for her people.

9And Hathach came back and gave Esther an account of what Mordecai had said.

10Then Esther sent Hathach to say to Mordecai:

11It is common knowledge among all the king’s servants and the people of every part of the kingdom, that if anyone, man or woman, comes to the king in his inner room without being sent for, there is only one law for him, that he is to be put to death; only those to whom the king’s rod of gold is stretched out may keep their lives: but I have not been sent for to come before the king these thirty days.

12And they said these words to Mordecai.

13Then Mordecai sent this answer back to Esther: Do not have the idea that you in the king’s house will be safe from the fate of all the Jews.

14If at this time you say nothing, then help and salvation will come to the Jews from some other place, but you and your father’s family will come to destruction: and who is to say that you have not come to the kingdom even for such a time as this?

15Then Esther sent them back to Mordecai with this answer:

16Go, get together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and go without food for me, taking no food or drink night or day for three days: and I and my women will do the same; and so I will go in to the king, which is against the law: and if death is to be my fate, then let it come.

17So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had said.

Psalms 106:1-23

1Let the Lord be praised. O give praise to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.

2Who is able to give an account of the great acts of the Lord, or to make clear all his praise?

3Happy are they whose decisions are upright, and he who does righteousness at all times.

4Keep me in mind, O Lord, when you are good to your people; O let your salvation come to me;

5So that I may see the well-being of the people of your selection, and have a part in the joy of your nation, and take pride in your heritage.

6We are sinners like our fathers, we have done wrong, our acts are evil.

7Our fathers did not give thought to your wonders in Egypt; they did not keep in memory the great number of your mercies, but gave you cause for wrath at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

8But he was their saviour because of his name, so that men might see his great power.

9By his word the Red Sea was made dry: and he took them through the deep waters as through the waste land.

10And he took them safely out of the hands of their haters, and kept them from the attacks of those who were against them.

11And the waters went over their haters; all of them came to an end.

12Then they had faith in his words; they gave him songs of praise.

13But their memory of his works was short; not waiting to be guided by him,

14They gave way to their evil desires in the waste land, and put God to the test in the dry places.

15And he gave them their request, but sent a wasting disease into their souls.

16They were full of envy against Moses among the tents, and against Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.

17The earth opening put an end to Dathan, covering up Abiram and his band.

18And a fire was lighted among their tents; the sinners were burned up by the flames.

19They made a young ox in Horeb, and gave worship to an image of gold.

20And their glory was changed into the image of an ox, whose food is grass.

21They had no memory of God their saviour, who had done great things in Egypt;

22Works of wonder in the land of Ham, and things of fear by the Red Sea.

23And he was purposing to put an end to them if Moses, his special servant, had not gone up before him, between him and his people, turning back his wrath, to keep them from destruction.

Revelation of John 13

1And he took his place on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads unholy names.

2And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority.

3And I saw one of his heads as if it had been given a death-wound; and his death-wound was made well: and all the earth was wondering at the beast.

4And they gave worship to the dragon, because he gave authority to the beast; and worshipping the beast, they said, Who is like the beast? and who is able to go to war with him?

5And there was given to him a mouth to say words of pride against God; and there was given to him authority to go on for forty-two months.

6And his mouth was open to say evil against God, and against his name and his Tent, even against those who are in heaven.

7And it was given to him to make war on the saints and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and language and nation.

8And all who are on the earth will give him worship, everyone whose name has not been from the first in the book of life of the Lamb who was put to death.

9If any man has ears, let him give ear.

10If any man sends others into prison, into prison he will go: if any man puts to death with the sword, with the sword will he be put to death. Here is the quiet strength and the faith of the saints.

11And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and his voice was like that of a dragon.

12And he makes use of all the authority of the first beast before his eyes. And he makes the earth and those who are in it give worship to the first beast, whose death-wound was made well.

13And he does great signs, even making fire come down from heaven on the earth before the eyes of men.

14And those who are on the earth are turned from the true way by him through the signs which he was given power to do before the beast; giving orders to those who are on the earth to make an image to the beast, who was wounded by the sword, and came to life.

15And he had power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that words might come from the image of the beast, and that he might have all those who did not give worship to the image of the beast put to death.

16And he gives to all, small and great, the poor and those who have wealth, the free and those who are not free, a mark on their right hand or on their brows;

17So that no man might be able to do trade but he who has the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.

18Here is wisdom. He who has knowledge let him get the number of the beast; because it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty-six.